TASKFORCE AGAINST COVID’19 – A REPORT

 

BACKGROUND OF THE INITIATIVE

In this time of Global emergency caused by COVID’19 Pandemic, it is the firm conviction – we are not living in fear but rather we are living in faith – that is enabling us to cope and look forward to our lives ahead with hope. Our Christian faith has taught us that nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood, Intervened and won over. However, in these times of enforced lockdowns, sufferings, and losses we may sometimes loose hope and be overwhelmed by a feeling of despair, pessimism, helplessness and eventual hopelessness. We are gathered here to facilitate our fellow brethren, who might be going through varied levels of such feelings, that could break them, if not intervened with timely assistance, to be supported by not only unprecedented kindness, but also with Unprecedented Spiritual, Psycho-Social, Professional Intervention services.

It is against this backdrop that CSI Trichy Tanjore Diocese and Bishop Heber College collaboratively vouched to take up a societal initiative to tackle the Crisis caused by the second wave of Covid 19. Prior experience of serving the community during the first wave of Covid 19, helped in arriving at specific interventions that were need based and most needed against the backdrop of the changing nature of the Virus, the morbidity it causes, the hospital facilities / provisions available to cater to the morbidity, the extent of the infection and the alternative livelihood options available in the context of the second wave as against the first wave.

We owe our gratitude to our Revered Bishop of Trichy Tanjore Diocese and Chairman & Secretary of our College governing council Rt. Rev.Dr.D. Chandrasekaran, for ‘sowing the seed’ for this need of the hour societal initiative – Setting up of a ‘Task Force to Fight Against Covid 19’ , and we had firm faith that God will ‘take care of the Growing’, the effective functioning of this Task Force, and through His mercies, the task force members would thrive with the required knowledge, skill, and resources, in empathetically reaching-out to those in distress.

Thus, CSI Trichy Tanjore Diocese and Bishop Heber College initiated a need of the hour Societal Initiative ‘Task Force Against Covid – 19’ on 20.05.2021 to intervene and alleviate the feelings of despair, pessimism, helplessness and hopelessness that patients of Covid and their families are enduring. The Task force would be lending support by not only showing unprecedented kindness, but also with Unprecedented Spiritual, Psycho-Social, Professional Intervention services. Revered Bishop of Trichy Tanjore Diocese and Chairman & Secretary of our College governing council Rt.Rev.Dr.D. Chandrasekaran, ‘sowed the seed’ for this need of the hour societal initiative and graced the occasion of its inauguration. Rev S. Sudharshan, Clerical Secretary, CSI Trichy Tanjore Diocese offered the opening Prayer. Principal Dr. D.Paul Dhyabaran, did the honors of Welcoming the August Gathering, Introducing the Societal Initiative ‘Task Force to Fight Against Covid 19’ and recorded his deep sense of gratitude for all the support received for this initiative to be a reality. Revered Bishop of Trichy Tanjore Diocese and the Chairman and Secretary of our College Governing Council Rt.Rev.Dr.D. Chandrasekaran shared his thoughts on the initiative ‘Task Force Against Covid – 19’ and expressed his concern on the havoc caused by the pandemic in the lives of many fellow brethren. He wished the task force effective co-ordination, facilitating reaching of the unreached possible, irrespective how remotely the call for help had come from. Dr.M. Senthil Kumar State NSS officer offered his felicitations and extended his teams’ support towards enabling effective interventions be made by the Task Force against Covid 19 repercussions. Dr.A. Relton, Head, Department of Social Work, explained the process to be adopted by the Task force and he listed the six areas the team would be intervening on namely Food Requirement, Prayer Request, Hospital Beds & Oxygen, Counselling, Ambulance Service, Funeral Support, Blood and Plasma Support. The service is envisaged to be rendered round the clock and call can be made to seek the service by calling the number 0431 2770136. DCC Chairman of Trichy Tanjore Diocese offered the closing prayer and Rt.Rev.Dr.D. Chandrasekaran, Bishop of Trichy Tanjore Diocese, and the Chairman and Secretary of Bishop Heber College offered the benediction.

The Task Force Against Covid 19 started functioning full-fledgedly from 25.05.21 onwards and on an average 30 calls seeking help under the six heads were received. Calls predominantly centered around request for Hospital beds with O2, Food requests, Ambulance services and Funeral Services. A few calls had come seeking for Prayer as well. The nature of the calls received; assistance rendered in a nutshell are as follows:

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CUAC-ASIA HOLDS VIRTUAL SERVICE-LEARNING REUNION

To plan for the future of Service-Learning program in the Philippines and to present updates on the endeavors initiated by program alumni, the Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC) Asia Chapter organized its first Service-Learning virtual reunion last Jan. 30, 2021 via Zoom.

Attended by alumni from the 2015 to 2019 programs, as well as faculty and administrators of participating higher education institutions, the 90-minute fellowship featured videos documenting the experiences of participants from Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. The host university, Trinity University of Asia (TUA) in Manila, Philippines, also presented updates on the situation of partner communities which were heavily affected by the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is really heartwarming to be part of this (reunion), as you relive your memories with the friends you made, reconnecting your ties and returning to the communities where you left your hearts,” said Dr. Wilfred U. Tiu, president of TUA.

“The memories that some of you shared are meaningful, that included how this Service-Learning experience become an important part of your life. We pray that the program will continue once the COVID situation has improved and everyone is vaccinated,” he added.

Other top management representatives of partner universities also expressed their full support of the program. “The (CUAC) Service-Learning program is very unique and highly regarded around the world… The students of Rikkyo University had a wonderful experience and learned a lot through this Service-Learning program,” said The Rt. Rev. Renta Nishihara, Rikkyo University’s incoming president, who promised to visit the program in Manila when it resumes after the pandemic.

The CUAC-Asia Service-Learning Program is a collaboration among member universities in East and Southeast Asia which started in 2015. The goal of the program is to connect theoretical concepts with real-life situations as a strategy of learning through service in partner communities.

Students of Rikkyo University (Tokyo), St. Luke’s International University (Tokyo), St. Margaret’s Junior College (Tokyo), Poole Gakuin College (Osaka), Kobe International University (Kobe), Momoyama Gakuin University of Education (Osaka), SungKongHoe University (Seoul), Easter College (Baguio City), and Brent Hospital and Colleges, Inc. (Zamboanga City) fly to Manila every second week of February to participate in the two-week program hosted by Trinity University of Asia. Recently, Ehime University (Japan) signified its intention to join the program.

As the virtual reunion ended with a lot of excitement, the organizers and alumni all expressed their hope for the end of the pandemic and for the resumption of the program next year.

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